97 - Truth Game
I'd gone to all the trouble of laying out blankets on the floor for the truth game, but the kids clambered onto my bed one by one until there wasn't even room to toss and turn. Huddled together under a single blanket, we felt like fish neatly lined up on a market display. The only light came from the faint glow of the mood lamp, barely enough to make out each other's faces. The kids' breath tickled my cheeks.
"Ugh, it's stuffy! So what now?" Haru poked her head out from under the blanket and asked.
Yuna, who already knew what was coming, was grinning ear to ear. I'd promised to handle her question.
"Wanna play truth game starting now?"
"Truth game?"
"Yeah. You have to answer every question with nothing but the truth."
It was originally meant for right before bed, after board games and movies. The perfect plan: get Yuna and Haru closer first, then use truth game to air grievances and reconcile. But they'd already mostly made up, so we could've skipped it. Yuna kept nagging, though, so we squeezed it in during a lull.
"What happens if you lie...?"
Haru looked curious. I snatched the mood lamp from beside my head and shone it dramatically on my face.
"Then... ghosts will eat you in the middle of the night."
"Kyaaah!"
"Ah! You scared me! What the heck!"
"Got it? So, wanna play?"
"Yeah! I really wanna try it."
"Then Nami, you can't lie either."
"Obviously. That's the rule."
I'd stick to truths mostly anyway, to keep things fun.
"Any questions you wanna ask each other?"
"Hmm..."
Yuna and Haru pondered deeply. Figuring it was tough to come up with some right away, I went first.
"Then, Seo Yuna."
"Yeah?"
I turned right to meet her eyes.
"What's Yuna's favorite anime?"
From that one visit to her house, I knew her tastes pretty well. I picked this to show truth game meant awkward questions—nothing too easy. Sure enough, Yuna's face turned as red as her hair.
"Th-that... Do I have to answer?"
"Why? Isn't that an easy one from Nami?"
"N-no, it's..."
Haru hugged me from behind, peeking over my shoulder at Yuna.
"Don't tease me no matter what you hear, okay...? It's... Winx Club..."
"...? What's Winx Club?"
"I'll explain. Winx Club is about an ordinary girl who discovers she's a fairy, enrolls in Alfea fairy school, and fights villains as a magical girl."
"Hey, NoNami! You totally knew and asked anyway!"
Yuna's face flushed crimson-purple. She yelled so loud my ears rang.
"Ooh... Got it. So Yuna likes that stuff."
"Ugh, seriously... Quick, ask I Ha-ru now."
She pestered me like she couldn't bear being the only one exposed. I knew less about Haru since we didn't chat much, so I picked something safe.
"Okay. Haru, if someone gave you and Yuna ten billion won, how would you split it?"
"I'd give it all to Yuna."
"For real? All to me?"
No hesitation—the answer came instantly. Yuna's eyes sparkled, touched.
"My family's loaded anyway. Don't need it."
Oh right, they're rich. I'd forgotten, even after she used that pure gold sheet mask from home.
The absurd reason deflated Yuna's 'of course' vibe, killing the mood. Time to ramp up to truth game's climax.
"Yuna, Yuna. Got a crush in class?"
"Eung? A crush?"
"Yeah."
Everyone asks that in truth game—it's a given.
"Ooh, now that's interesting."
"Feels like I'm the only one answering."
"You ask next time. So?"
I was curious too. Her hesitation made me think maybe...
But the answer we wanted never came.
"Nah, don't think so."
"Why?"
"Just... no one really."
"Nami, you know something?"
I spun halfway around and whispered to Haru.
"Pretty sure Si-hu likes Yuna."
"No way...! Really?"
"Yeah. Like 99%."
"Yoon Si-hu... Poor guy."
Yuna wouldn't just watch us whisper. She flipped the blanket, climbed on top, and disrupted full-force.
"Hey, Yuna, you're heavy...!"
"What're you talking about without me? Tell me too!"
"Heh, Seo Yuna, you're secretly popular?"
"Yuna's cute, so duh."
"Come to think, you're athletic too. Last dodgeball with the boys, you took on ten alone. That was cool."
Bombarded by praise, she softened and returned to her spot.
"So what were you saying?"
"Hmm. Tell her or not?"
"Might as well."
With Haru playing accomplice, no reason to hide. Besides, Yoon Si-hu'd been clinging lately. Time for payback.
"Yuna."
I called her name seriously, twirling her bright red hair around my finger. It was weirdly addictive—might become a habit when talking to her.
"If someone in our class liked you, what'd you think?"
She'd always been a loner at the academy. Knowing someone wanted to befriend her all along—how would she react?
"Who'd like someone like me..."
"Yuna's cute, smart, sharp."
"Honestly... I wasn't nice to anyone in class."
"Yoon Si-hu?"
"Eh?"
"Seems like he thinks well of you."
"Kyaaah, can't hear more...!"
Haru cringed harder than Yuna, making a fuss.
"Ah... uh... but..."
Yuna mumbled like she was glitching.
"Si-hu definitely hates me..."
"I noticed too. He smiles more around you. He's usually quiet."
"See? Haru thinks so too. So next time Si-hu talks, don't brush him off—hang out."
"Nami, truth game is the best. It's bedtime but I'm wide awake!"
Yuna clammed up more than before; Haru opened up instead. Annoyed at me and Haru chumming it up, Yuna seized the floor.
"Then Haru, anyone you liked at the academy?"
"Hmm... Used to, not now."
"Ooh, who?"
"Kim Han-geol."
"Girls hate him. Wasn't he like that for you?"
"We've known each other since we were little."
These kids talking 'little' was adorable.
"But not anymore?"
"Yeah. He said just one bite of my ice cream, stole it all."
"Haha..."
"We no-talked a week. It was limited edition—I wanted it so bad...!"
Kids' reasons for dislike were wildly varied. Sharing secrets felt embarrassing yet refreshing.
Haru grinned slyly and turned on me.
"Nami, you?"
"Obviously not."
"Why?"
"You're all too young."
"You always call us young. You're the same."
"Right, I Ha-ru? You're not the only one—Nami treats me like a kid too."
"You are a kid, Seo Yuna."
"Am not? Teacher says second-year elementary aren't kids anymore."
She quoted Jackie Teacher's habit for calming rowdy class.
"Oh, Jackie sensei's line! I can mimic it. Ahem. Second-year Class A aren't kids anymore. You've got first-year underclassmen—be role models, yeah? Understand?"
"Whoa, spot-on!"
We burst giggling at Haru's killer impression, especially the English kicker.
The truth game devolved into a versus battle. Learning tastes was fun for the kids. Sensing the moment, Nami gathered them for the finale.
"Truth is... I invited you to this pajama party for a reason."
"Eh, really?"
Haru nodded quietly.
"Sit up and talk?"
Believing apologies needed eye contact, Nami gripped the girls' arms tight. They creaked rising from stiff poses. She clasped their hands together.
"Do we have to hold like this...?"
"Yeah, you promised..."
"Okay... Hey, Yuna."
Haru spoke softly first.
"Last year, I said mean stuff to you... Remember?"
"Yeah..."
"I wasn't thinking—I'm really sorry..."
"..."
"Today was so fun. Jenga, chicken and TikTok, picnic with Niobe unnie, truth game—all of it. Next time, I'll invite you. Really sorry..."
The lively room fell silent in a heartbeat. Head-tilted Haru, lip-biting Yuna—neither knew what to say next.
Yuna's hands trembled. Academy hardships flashed by, overlaid with pajama party joy. She glanced at Nami.
No need to agonize.
Nami smiled reassuringly. Yuna took a deep breath.
"I know how badly I treated class last year. Wanted to hang out... but sucked, so I got meaner."
"You knew why...?"
"Knew you looked out second semester too. Sniff... When everyone hated me, called me Yuna Virus, wouldn't touch me—you were the only one who talked, Haru. Hic... But hearing you badmouth with class... Felt so betrayed..."
Tears soaked Yuna's face. Squeezed eyes leaked drops down flushed cheeks.
"Misunderstanding! I... I..."
Haru faltered. Was it gossip? Even if for Yuna, maybe...
"Acting friendly front, gossiping back—hated you most in first-year C, I Ha-ru. For real... Even now, maybe Nami forced this."
"No..."
"Nami's my only friend."
Thunderbolt verdict. As things soured, Yuna yanked drooping, mumbling Haru into a hug.
"Hic... But y'know... Used to think that... Survey, friend names... Only wrote Nami, so sad. Cried all day home..."
Lips clamped, sobs escaped. Nami mouthed 'pat her back' to flustered Haru. Tremors passed hand-to-hand.
"Lived selfishly... Wanna apologize to whole class if rewind. And hitting you... Scared, no sleep. Wanted to say sorry... Don't know why... Hic... Hurt bad?"
"Yeah... A bit...?"
"Hng, sorry! Sorry sorry sorry...!"
Meant for Haru to apologize, but she got bombarded—awkward. Oblivious, Yuna kept repeating.
"Next pajama party, come with Nami?"
"Sob... Yeah!"
Finally, bright faces. Regrets melted embracing. Haru snuck a tear-wipe; Nami fetched tissues.
"Wanna blow?"
"N-no...! I can do it myself!"
Haru bristled; Nami nonchalantly held tissue to Yuna's nose.
"Here, honk."
"Khrng...!"
"Good. Everyone's tear ducts on overdrive today. Better now?"
"Sniff... Yeah..."
Nami hugged sniffling Yuna tenderly.
"See? Apologizing's no biggie."
Aimed at Haru.
"Yeah... Easier than thought."
"Yuna said you're second-favorite after me."
"Hey, we agreed no—mmph...!"
"Shh."
Haru giggled at Yuna, often silenced by Nami today.
"You two like mom and daughter—hilarious!"
"Yeah? Be dad then. Perfect family."
"Ack! Don't wanna be boy!"
"Wasn't my choice to be girl."
"Huh...? You are a girl?"
Nami's meaningful look—Haru'd never get it.